Catrike usually runs some sort of winter promotional sale with limited edition colors. This year is no different! There are FOUR new colors available across their range. Hyper Yellow, Blue Flame, Fire Red and Alpine White. The colors are available through the end of the year at price of $200 off MSRP.

SURPRISE!!! There’s a new Catrike on the road! (Pun fully intended) When Catrike introduced their first full-suspension trike, they teased us incessantly. The trike was first shown to the public nearly a year before it actually hit the market. With their second full-suspension (FS) trike, they’ve taken the opposite path. The trike you see here in this review, the Catrike Road AR, is debuting later today at the Seattle Bike Show and can be ordered by your dealer right now.

The Road is one of Catrike’s longest-running model names. It’s gone through several iterations. Before Catrike was really a household name, it was a fairly conventional tadpole trike typical of the early 2000’s. The only difference was that it was made of aluminum. Then it became one of the company’s first trikes to use it’s now-iconic spaceframe. In 2012, the Road became Catrike’s first trike with rear suspension. Now, for 2017 it’s been updated with full suspension and a slightly new character. Read More »

LOTS of news for you all today. The folding Catrike Trail is shipping NOW as is the Edge e2 ultra-folder and Bacchetta is celebrating even more RAAM success with a discount on the Bacchetta Carbon Aero 2.0! All of the details and press releases are after the jump…

And speaking of the Schlitters… There is a huge raffle underway to raise money for Jacquie’s RAAM effort. The list of possible bikes and trikes that you can win is a virtual who’s who of the high performance recumbent market. A Bacchetta CA2 team spec, Cruzbike Vendetta team spec, Metabike Metaphysic, M5 CHR, and Catrike Expedition trike are all up for grabs. One prize per person. The winner will be drawn at the RAAM finish line. Tickets are $20 for one or 6 for $100. Tickets are available at this link. All proceeds from Jacquie’s RAAM effort will go to 3000 Miles to a Cure. If you don’t remember that name, it’s the charity founded by Maria Parker of Cruzbike to aid in cancer research. Her amazing performance in the 2013 RAAM race also aided that same cause. It’s very nice to see the recumbent community working together so well. If you want to get to know Jacquie and John a bit better, check out this story in the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Aerospokes For Catrikes Available – Industrial Bicycles emailed us to say that they are working with Aerospoke on a wheelset for Catrikes. Current availability is a bit limited but more are on the way very soon. More info at Industrial Bicycles.

New Strada DF Velomobile – Velomobiel.nl has released a new velomobile called the Strada DF. The DF stands for Daniel Fenn, the vehicle’s designer. Fenn is well-know for this Go-One Evo series and now works for Velomobiel.nl. The Strada DF is being billed as a sort of practical racing machine. A new blog called Recumbent Rumours has a review of the prototype. (Photo from Recumbent Rumours)

Dennis Johnson to Attempt Solo RAAM – Dennis Johnson, Team Vite rider and two-time veteran of the Race Across the West (RAW), has announced that he will be moving up and participating in Race Across America (RAAM) this year. He hopes to be the first person over 60 to finish the event on a recumbent. The RAAM web site has an article about him. (Photo from RAAM Facebook Page)

To paraphrase the immortal John Fogerty… Them big wheels keep on turnin’ in the recumbent world. The trike segment was fairly immune to this trend until a few years ago. Now it seems like every major trike brand has at least one or two models with 26” or 700c rear wheels. Some owners and homebuilders have even gone as far as to put big wheels up front on their tadpole trikes. Now Utah Trikes, the well-known and well-respected trike customizer, has released their take on this new triple big wheel micro-trend with the Annihilator series.

A quick glance at the three-trike Annihilator line reveals that they are based on various Catrike models. The V81 is based on the Villager, the R81 is based on the Road and the X90 starts life as an Expedition. Utah Trikes decided to split the difference between the stock trikes’ 20” front wheels and larger 26” or 700C wheels by choosing a pair of 24” (507mm) front wheels for all three Annihilators. The V81 and R81 both have 26” rear wheels. Of course, Utah Trikes did the sane thing and left the rear of the X90 and its stock 26-incher alone. No they didn’t. The X90 has a whopping huge 29er on the rear. The larger wheels on the rear of all three models are made possible with the use of Utah Trikes’ Wheel Extensions we recently reviewed. Read More »

Utah Trikes never leaves well enough alone. As I recently found out, their Catrike wheel extensions work quite well and are becoming very popular. Now the boffins in the Utah Trikes workshop have decided to expand the “bigger is better” idea to the front end of Catrikes as well. To that end, they’ve released the new Annihilator series. The Annihilator V81 is based on the Villager while the even larger X90 model is based on the Expedition. The V81 features 81 speeds by adding a Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 into the drivetrain mix. The larger 26″ rear wheel combined with the 81 speeds gives the V81 a gear range of as low as 13″ to as high as 164″. The 24″ front wheels give the V81 a whopping 9″ of ground clearance. The X90 has (you guessed it) 90 gears and is based on the Catrike Expedition. The rear wheel on the V90 is a huge 29er and yields a gear range of as low as 13″ to as high as 177″ using the same rear hub as the V81. It also has 24″ wheels up front to yield 8″ of ground clearance. The X90 also has the new Utah Trikes performance seat mesh option that not only looks cool with its “Muscle” style racing stripes but also has a large integrated seat bag with an insulated water bladder pocket and room for a lot of gear. Through the end of the year the V81 will cost only $2500 and the X90 will be $2950. Prices go up to $3000 and $3500 respectively after that. Both Annihilators are available in Utah Trike’s wide array of custom colors. We should have a neon orange X90 in to review soon. Read More »

This is the biggest year end promotion I’ve seen Catrike do yet. And they brought back the candy! Now through Dec 31st. (Details after the Jump)

From Catrike Press Release…

CATRIKE YEAR END PROMOTIONThe opportunity of the year to save on a Catrike!For a limited time onlySave $200 on all Catrike models in a Candy Color. Save $100 on all Catrike models in a Standard Color.Read More »

Finding a proper place to work on your trike can be a more than a bit difficult. Most of us wind up either setting our beloved machines on a table or rolling around on the floor while trying to perform all manner of service and repairs. This can be described, at best, as “inconvenient and a bit sweary.” Some people build workstands out of wood or PVC but those are very model-specific and some people (myself included) just aren’t into DIY projects. Peddlers now has a wide range of solutions for those of us that want an adjustable trike workstand that will fit more than one trike and doesn’t require any trips to Home Depot.

Peddlers offers several different models starting at as low as $180 but we chose the top-of-the-line and highly-adjustable Trike Stand Magnum OS for our review. This stand is primarily designed for either shops, the truly addicted triker with three or four trikes on-hand or (apparently) recumbent cycling journalists. It’s not cheap at $449 retail but after two weeks of having it in the shop, I’ve found it to be completely indispensable. Read More »

“Ride With Larry” is a fantastic tale of a man with Parkinson’s who took a 320 mile ride on his Catrike to spread awareness and raise money to fight the disease. A film crew tagged along and now they need your help to make this into a full feature-length documentary. Watch the trailer, then stop by their site and donate.

Catrike has made a HUGE number of changes to their existing models. A few bits and pieces have trickled out here and there but I think this is the most complete summary that you’ll find. I’ve also included screenshots of the PDF that Catrike sent dealers and the media just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Pics of all the changes are in those screenshots.

Probably the most noticeable change is to the stock component selection. For 2013 every Catrike model comes with a 30-speed SRAM drivetrain. This includes TT500 bar-end shifters, an X7 rear derailleur and an 11-36 cassette. The crankset is now upgraded to a 30-42-52 FSA Gossamer with a stock chainguard. The 700 has also gotten a lighter and stiffer Velocity rear wheel.

Catrikes also come with very cool new accessories. First of all there are new hand rests that mount on the handlebars behind the grips. These should be very nice for giving your arm a break while riding. You’ll also notice a new mirror/computer mount that also mounts on the handlebars. The standard Catrike headrest has also been improved with a larger pad, a quick release for adjustment and a rotational lock to make it more secure. Read More »

By BRYAN J. BALLManaging Editor
Where would us forlorn recumbent riders be without Schwalbe? Over the years they’ve produced dozens of their best tire designs in several different sizes that us oft-ignored souls required. For years, we were mostly stuck with tires that were originally designed for BMX and Freestyle bikes. If you had a tire need smaller than the standard 20”, you were even more out of luck. Then along came Schwalbe.

They were one of the first companies to make truly high-performance tires in the 406mm and smaller wheel sizes. Ditto for fast high-quality balloon tires and puncture-resistant touring rubber. Schwalbe even produces their spiked winter tire in recumbent-friendly sizes. So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that they were also first manufacturer in the world to mass produce a tire specifically for recumbent trikes, velomobiles and other multi-track HPV’s. It’s called the Tryker. Read More »

I haven’t done one of these Monday morning news round-ups in quite some time. Most of the major news announcements came in one-at-a-time over the last several months so there wasn’t a need. Now that the season is ramping up again, we’ll do them more regularly. So without further ado… Here are some stories of interest from the past week or so that didn’t make it to our front page.

Cycle Genius Closes – In what will not be a shock to many industry insiders, Cycle Genius has closed. The company has been pretty dormant for about a year now. Sad to see them go. They were always the recumbent world’s Saab. They built some odd-looking but fantastic riding bikes. I was especially fond of the last version of the Raven dual 700C long wheelbase. Probably the best handling dual 700 LWB I’ve ever ridden. Rumor has it that the company is for sale. Maybe they will rise again.

SON Dynamo Available for Catrikes – The SON hub dynamo is the undisputed best dynamo hub in the world. Unfortunately, if you rode any trike other than an ICE or HPVelotechnic and wished to use one, you were out of luck… Until now. SON is also going to be selling a version of the hub for Catrikes. They’re rather pricey and we’ve never had much luck getting review products from SON but we’ll do our best to get our hands on one. Contact your local dealer to order one in the USA.

The time has arrived! The votes have been tallied and we’ve chosen our 2012 Recumbent of the Year! More accurately… You’ve chosen. As we explained in this previous article, we changed the way we were choosing the winner this year. Larry and I would vote as per usual. Readers of the site got one collective vote. Two prominent dealers were allowed to vote and two other recumbent bloggers/writers were chosen to vote. Larry and I both agreed on one choice. You and one of the dealers chose another. The bloggers and the remaining dealer all have completely different choices than the “leading two.” In the end, Larry and I decided to give you guys and gals the tie-breaker and go with your choice. And the winner is…

2012 RECUMBENT OF THE YEAR – ICE Adventure HD

The Adventure HD isn’t the first tadpole trike ever designed and optimized for larger riders. But it may be the best. It’s the only one that has wider seat than its standard counterpart. It also has wider handlebars and a wider track. I can also testify that I’ve never seen a trike that has been so universally adored by its owners. Larger people are genuinely excited about having a high-end option and seem to be 100% pleased with the results. Congratulations, ICE!

HONORABLE MENTION – Catrike Road

We don’t do a separate “Editor’s Choice” award anymore. If we did, the 2012 version would have gone to the Catrike Road. Larry and I were both very impressed with this trike’s new rear suspension system. It’s way ahead of anything else on the market and I hope it inspires other manufacturers to step up. The rest of the trike ain’t too bad either.

Catrike makes some of the most highly regarded tadpole trikes in the world. They’re light, fast, stiff, handle well and the ride is… well… sometimes not that great actually. This isn’t a knock against against Catrike. When you make a trike that is designed to be light and stiff, there will be a few trade offs. In the pursuit of light weight and performance, the Florida-based manufacturer has created a few models that weren’t exactly magic carpet smooth. Catrike has attempted to address this foible with the new 2012 Catrike Road and its rear suspension system.

Suspension has been all the rage in the trike world for a few years now, but Catrike wasn’t too quick to jump on the bandwagon. The small band of engineering boffins that work at Catrike aren’t quick to hop onto every design trend that comes down the pike. They just started making a trike with an adjustable seat angle last year and they still don’t make a folder. However, when they do take the plunge, they more often than not get it very right. Witness, for example, the aforementioned folding seat mechanism. It’s a real beauty to behold and very innovative.

I have not had more than a few minutes on the trike so far – but much more to come! As others have said on our message board, the Catrike Road for 2012 is rear-suspended, with an adjustable air shock. First impressions are that it’s very smooth. More to come once I’ve had more time on the trike on varying surfaces.

UPDATE – While I have not had the time to do a full, in-depth review of the new Catrike Road, I was able to ride it extensively for one day. I tried to put the suspended Road through its paces, deliberately searching out rough areas and pot holes, as well as some more unusual surfaces.

As with other suspended trikes I have ridden, when it works, you really don’t notice much. It doesn’t eliminate the effects entirely – it just smoothes out some of the rough edges. A good way of telling if it’s working, is to observe another, non-suspended trike on the same route. Read More »

Have you ever looked at something, a car, a house, a person, and thought: no, that’s not for me. That’s not my style, that’s out of my league, that’s more than I want or need, and so on. And yet, when you get closer, when you drive it, when you walk in that front door, when you talk to that person, you find that you just might be wrong, at least enough to cause you to take a closer look. Sometimes that turns into a need to experience it more, as you find that perhaps you didn’t know yourself as well as you thought. That is a good description of my reaction to the 2012 Catrike 700. Read More »

Another Sebring 24 Hour Challenge… Another record smashing performance. Or in this case… SEVERAL!

Jim Verheul piloted a Bacchetta Carbon Aero 2.0 to a course record 523.9 miles in the 24 hour drafting category. Jacquie Hafner (also on a Carbon Aero 2.0) set the women’s 24 hour drafting record with a 516 mile run that tied John Schlitter’s pace for the event. Maria Parker of Cruzbike blistered the 24-hour non drafting record with a 474 mile performance (Yes that means she even beat the guys.) and Kristy Halvorser with a new 12 hour women’s record of 259 miles on her Bacchetta. Also very notable was Steve Hanson cracking 240 miles in the 12 hour on his Catrike 700.

*Please note that the above results aren’t official yet and some of the records were relayed via text and telephone. I’ll update the article once it’s all official.*

Well… It’s officially official. Catrike has flirted with killing off the Speed for the better part of a year now. Every time it seemed like the venerable classic was destined for the waste bin, it was pulled back by Paulo Camasmie’s love for the trike that put him on the map. Sadly, it’s all over now… Dealers were notified last week that production demands and impending new models introductions have necessitated the discontinuation of the Speed.

In the end, the Speed was the victim of its own brothers and sisters. Hardcore performance riders went with Catrike’s 700. Those wanting something more compact went with the more versatile Road. We at BentRider will miss the cheeky little bugger. It pioneered the Catrike space frame design and showed a lot of people that trikes could be fast and economical at the same time. It was a radical departure from anything that’s come before or since.

We’ve reviewed the trike several times in all of its various iterations. Most recently in what turned out to be the ultimate version. The 2010 Speed R. I had a blast on the Speed R that weekend that I had possession of it. Like all Speeds that came before it, that little gray hot rod was quick, nimble and absolute blast to ride.

I’ll close this little eulogy with a quote from our own Larry Varney…

The 2003 Speed was how I met Paulo for the first time – I was in the area, having ridden the Horrible Hundred, saw his ad in RCN, gave him a call from my motel that night, met him the next day and rode the Speed around the parking lot. I told him “you’re going to sell a lot of these.”

Let’s hope that we see a Speed revival in a couple of years so that Catrike can sell a ton more.

Bear with me a second here… I’m fairly active in the craft beer “culture” in my area. The more I get involved with this small niche industry the more I see similarities between it and my beloved world of recumbency. Let me explain…

One of my favorite breweries is Dogfish Head out of Delaware. You may have seen the Founder and President, Sam Calagione, on the Discovery Channel show “Brewmasters” or the documentary film “Beer Wars.” Sam is a very charismatic individual and has brought Dogfish Head from just a few thousand barrels a year up to 145,000 a year in less than a decade. His TV Show and all the hard work he does promoting his brand have also drawn a lot of attention to the craft beer market as a whole. The amount of craft beer sold in the United States has exploded and it’s pretty easy to see that Sam had a fair amount to do with that. You’d think he’d be a universally loved character wouldn’t you? No. Read More »